SOURCE CRITICISM – Many commentators suggest Psalm 29 to the oldest of the collected psalms in Scripture; first, because the parallelism is nearly repetitive pattern--suggesting an earlier period of development (cf. vv. 1-2). But more convincingly because the psalm seems to be an adaptation of an ancient nature poem of praise to Baal, the local deity of weather and fertility. Such borrowing between cultures was common and in this case, Israel’s psalmist carefully interpolates the appropriate appellation for God to transform a pagan poem into a hymn of praise to the God of Israel.

THE LORD REIGNS – At the heart of this lovely hymn is the proclamation: The Lord reigns! God’s voice echoes throughout the heavens and earth; God reigns over the earth and gives strength to people. The worshiping community aligns their faith with this proclamation when we pray, "Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name . . . for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory . . . " The universe is the sphere of God’s activity and reign. Everything originates from God, so that our best scientific advances, our most exhilarating technologies, our highest summits of human inquiry sits in silence before God the Lord who reigns over the universe.

PSALM 29 DURING THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY –

The use of Psalm 29 on the first Sunday after the Epiphany is particularly appropriate. Epiphany follows Christmas; Psalm 29 spans the two seasons. The movement of Psalm 29 from proclaiming God’s glory (v. 9c) to peace on earth (v.11) recalls the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke (Luke 2:14). And the birth of Jesus is the event by which God’s universal reign became manifest . . . For the NT, Jesus becomes the ultimate embodiment of God’s kingdom, power, and glory (see John 1:14; 1 Cor. 2:8; 2 Cor. 4:6). [1]

 

At least seven times in this psalm, the writer uses the word, "voice" of the LORD that can be heard throughout the earth. Where and in what context have you heard the voice of the Lord and especially the proclamation: The Lord reigns?

 

Amplify the central proclamation--The Lord Reigns--in a homily based on Psalm 29.

You might consider recalling the various voices around us that claim ascendancy and engender post-modern worship. Scour the papers and magazines for voices that vie for a position that should only belong to One who reigns over all.

We need not create an "us and them" dichotomy--whether it be science, technology, media, education, industry, or Hollywood (!) personalities. But we do need to balance all of the good and prominent authorities around us with the Christian claim and the faith that leads us--The Lord Reigns.

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible IV (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), page 794.